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Assessment and Analysis during public health events and Emergencies

PAHO Risk Assessment

As part of the risk assessment work of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) two key analytical products elaborated to support timely, evidence-based decision-making during acute public health events and emergencies: the Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA) and the Public Health Situation Analysis (PHSA). Both products provide structured, standardized assessments of public health threats and emergency contexts, enabling Member States and partners to understand risks, anticipate potential impacts, and support coordinated preparedness and response actions across the Americas Region.

PAHO Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA)

Since 2020, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Americas Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) has been publishing the Rapid Risk Assessment (RRAs) for acute public health events that have or could have implications for the Americas Region. The PAHO Rapid Risk Assessment -previously referred to as Public Health Risk assessment (until December 2025)- is conducted following the process described in the Rapid risk assessment of acute public health events (2012) and the WHO Rapid Risk Assessment Guidance v2.1 as outlined on the WHO Rapid Risk Assessments (RRA) website.

RRAs are prepared using standardized methodologies that estimate both the likelihood of a threat occurring and its potential public health impact, in accordance with established rapid risk assessment guidance.

Key characteristics +

 

Key characteristics of the RRA include:

  • Consideration of emerging information, epidemiological data, scientific evidence, and the specific context of the event, recognizing that assessments may involve uncertainty and are updated as new information becomes available.
  • A joint assessment process involving PAHO/WHO Country Offices, Regional Offices, and Headquarters, providing a platform for timely analysis that integrates contextual knowledge and expert input across the Organization.
  • Systematic data collection, hazard identification, exposure analysis, and contextual assessment, alongside the assignment of confidence levels and corresponding risk levels.

 

PAHO Public Health Situation Analysis (PHSA)

Since 2024, PAHO has been publishing Public Health Situation Analysis (PHSA) for contexts involving sudden-onset emergency, as defined by the WHO Emergency Response Framework (ERF), or deterioration of a protracted crisis. The PHSA is a comprehensive and holistic assessment of public health needs, risks and the response landscape in a given context. It is particular relevant in settings where health coordination mechanisms are activated (e.g., Health Clusters) and represents one of the Organization’s key analytical outputs in emergency settings The PAHO PHSA is conducted in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for preparing a PHSA.

Key objectives of the PHSA +

 

Key objectives of the PHSA include:

  • Providing a comprehensive analysis of population health status, current and potential health threats, health system functionality, and humanitarian health system performance.
  • Supporting a common understanding of the public health situation among health sector partners, including national and local authorities, non-governmental organizations, donor agencies, and United Nations entities, to inform evidence-based, coordinated humanitarian health response planning.